Two days in one

This entry should be for 29 Sept - a previous entry went in that date wrongly, and when I press confirm to delete, it just keeps asking me to confirm. So this is 29/30 Sept together.
29 Sept
We drove to Rishtan for the lovely ceramics workshop. Beautiful pieces being intricately painted. Cobalt, manganese and copper are the main colours. The pots are local red clay, dried outside for 3 days then a white clay is added on top so that it can then be painted. Potter demonstrated. He'd been a master in Soviet times and his Workshop set up after Soviet era and the factory closed. He's won prizes in Santa Fe and Hungary.

We continued to Kokand for Khudyar Khan Palace, one of the most striking royal palaces in Central Asia. Built at the end of 19century, he commissioned 113 rooms set around 7 courtyards, with gardens outside. He had 4 wives and 40 concubines.

We had lunch in a large restaurant. Tracey and I had mushroom soup which turned out to have lots of meat and 2 slices of mushroom. I had chips and tomato and onion salad as well and Mr C had Lagman. 31,000sum, a our £3.

Our driver went too fast and too close to the taxi in front. It was quite hairy. Mr C had both feet pressed to his imaginary brakes. Luckily we won't have taxis again. For some bureaucratic reason buses are not allowed over the pass.

Set off for the high pass. No photos at bridges, tunnels. We had a passport check at the pass, by which time it was cold and wet. The tunnels were closed so we had a long drive twisting up and down the pass in total rain cloud. Eventually we reached Tashkent, in the dark. The hotel is amazing in a Vegas type way - huge and glitzy. Large horns were trumpeting and oligarchs were arriving for a wedding. By the time we had our passports handed in and got rooms we saw the wedding party arrive. Very OTT.

30 Sept
Left 9am for city tour in bus. First stop old mosque, Kafal-Chachi, 16th century, and new bit 10 years old. Ab Khasim Madrassah with 7th cent Koran written on gazelle skin, plus other old ones. Burka prohibited even though 80% Muslim, as it is still a secular state.
Market, covered, cottage cheese and meat, outside down steps veg, giant pok choi, spices, fruit, stuff to clean teeth, then Chinese market - tat from China - sox, tights etc.
On metro to see glitzy stations but not allowed to take pix, police checking. Also checking under cars with gadget to detect bombs. Young people very polite and stood up to give us their seats.
Many parks and fountains. Saw memorial to the earthquake - opposite very ugly block but it was built in only two years. People from all over Soviet Union were sent to help rebuilt but locals not pleased 20% of new housing went to them.
Memorial bronze books to 750,000 who died in WW2, 5% of the population. Eternal flame.
Independence square cranes and storks made of metal - used to be Lenin square.
Back for hour long briefing from Ruslam our guide. Hotel not near shops or cafes so got a Danish pastry all that was available in this huge hotel in the late afternoon then met the group to go for dinner. All piled into taxis to this appalling place, glitter balls, flashing lights, loud music, full of tour groups. While guide was away consulting waiters about menus we realised it would be hopeless trying to get 24 people fed, some of us tried to scarper. The place refused to get us taxis but a young waiter sorted it but got a telling off. We all slipped him $1 and got back to the hotel. As Jill got out of our taxi the driver drove forward to make room for a bus also dropping off. The wheel ran over her foot and she fell back against the bus, screaming in pain. I sat on the ground hugging her while Mr C went to get hotel people to come. They wanted her to go to hospital but she was leaving for her flight at 11.30. When she got over the shock a bit we were able to help her up and she could walk ok. We got a bag of ice from the bar and Mr C got her hot tea. By this time the other taxi had got there. Our driver stayed and waited till he knew she was ok. I took her to her room and got her foot propped up and sorted her bags etc. She recovered enough to joke a bit. When I got to our room I found Alan and Anna in there with Mr C drinking vodka. We all had a few then Anna's friend, who by then had got back from the restaurant, heard the noise and joined us. I checked on Jill then we all went downstairs where a few were having more vodka. Bearing in mind we'd had nothing to eat since breakfast except a pastry, you can imagine! We staggered off to bed for 4 hours sleep and managed to get out to the bus at 5.45 for our internal flight! Still staggering I think!